Hello Prince Charming
by Tri-Foxx
Summary: After a devastating heartbreak, Sakura does what any normal woman would do: blow her cash to travel Europe for excitement without the company of men! But nothing ever goes according to plan. AU/ SakuraxKiba
1. Prologue

***I do not, nor will I, ever own the Naruto series and its characters. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto.* **

…_:::Hello Prince Charming:::…_

_By: Tri-Foxx_

Prologue: The Day When Her World Crashed Down

Sakura Haruno was worried. There was a strange feeling in her gut as she held onto Sasuke's loosely grip fingers. He had been acting strange all night, from the lack of words to the constant staring off into space. Not once has Sasuke looked at her with those mysterious obsidian eyes she loved for more than a fraction of a second. It was unnerving.

They walked down the sidewalk in silence, and it seemed that with every minute that went by, Sasuke's hand would relax just a bit, as if he was trying to find a polite way to let go of her hand. Sakura felt like pulling her hand away from his, but she was afraid to let go. Maybe something was bothering him at work.

It was dusk time in Central Park, and people were rushing to get home for dinner. There was less bodies now, and Sasuke pulled Sakura to a deserted bench beside a few rose bushes. She watched as he turned around to pick a pink rose from the bush, careful not to puncture himself with a thorn. He handed the rose to Sakura, and she smiled softly.

At last, Sasuke looked into Sakura's eyes, but something about them was off. They seemed hard, like uncut black diamonds. She was afraid of this, and a cold feeling ran through her body. Sasuke nonchalantly let go of her hand, and he took a deep breath, fixing his eyes on the ground.

Sakura wanted to scream. The suspense was killing her, and Sasuke's odd behavior wanted to make her burst into tears. For a moment, she knew what he was going to say, but she pushed it aside. She was probably wrong, like she was on numerous occasions.

"Sakura," he said gloomily. Sakura's heart began to pound audibly in her chest. She knew the worst was coming.

"I think it's time that we should see other people," Sasuke continued, almost cold-heartedly.

Sakura's world crashed down, along with her stopped heart and every organ in her body. They laid broken at her feet, and a sharp pain from a thousand invisible needles pierced every pore in her body. She blinked rapidly, feigning off the waterfall of tears begging to be released. Pushing them back stung her eyes.

"B-but…. Why?" Sakura stammered, looking from right to left. "Did… Did I do something wrong?"

"No. I did."

Sakura became numb, and her arms became limp by her sides.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," Sasuke whispered. He reached out for her hand but thought the better of it and pulled it back to his lap.

"I don't understand."

Sakura began to cry, tears streaming down her face along with small whimpers escaping her mouth. She threw her hands into her face to hide herself from him. Sasuke did not speak for what felt like an hour, but when he did, it shot Sakura in the heart with a million bullets.

"I've been very unfaithful for the past two years."

Sakura stopped crying, and looked up at him with shock and disgust. He seemed so ashamed with himself that he was looking in another direction. His face was a mix of sympathy, hurt, and disgrace. Sakura's hands balled up into fists.

"So you would ruin our six year relationship just like that?" Sakura retorted, angry now.

Sasuke didn't reply.

Then, without thinking, she punched Sasuke right in the jaw, throwing his head back in the shockwave. He placed a hand on his wound and looked at her stoically.

"I guess I deserved that."

"The hell you did, Sasuke!" Sakura screamed and stood up, the forgotten pink rose landing on the ground. "I don't ever want to see you again! Get your shit out of _MY_ apartment, and go live with your stupid hussy! You make me sick, you conniving bastard!"

She hit him one last time, this time in the shoulder, and stalked off fuming. She didn't make it too far without hearing Sasuke running after her.

"Sakura!" he called.

"What?" she snarled, turning around to face him.

"At least let me walk you home. It's getting dark."

Sakura huffed a laugh in fake amusement. She whirled around and stomped off.

"Like you care," she murmured. "I'm getting a taxi. Don't bother coming to my apartment tonight or any other time until you get your stuff tomorrow. Whatever you don't get out by five p.m., I'm throwing it out onto the street."

She left him in Central Park without another word, and it was the last word she would say to her former lover, Sasuke Uchiha. She prayed for his life and hers that she would never see him again.


	2. IrelandChapter One

…:::Destination One: Dublin, Ireland:::…

Chapter One- Chinese Food and European Tours

It had been three weeks since Sakura had last seen Sasuke, and she was beginning to feel like half a person. She did everything half-heartedly. Nothing seemed to matter much in the world anymore, and she wanted to hit herself for acting like a fourteen year old girl who just found out that the quarterback for the varsity football team didn't really love her. So, Sakura sat moping in the middle of her bed with her knees clutched to her chest.

Sakura and Sasuke were supposed to be high school sweethearts, since they had been together since the end of their freshman year. They had their whole lives planned out during their junior year, the house, kids, and pets. Not once had Sasuke seemed uncomfortable about talking about having children later on in life. They even picked out names.

Now, the Hollywood-style couple from West Brookes High was forever lost, and Sakura pressed her forehead to her knees.

Thank God it was Sunday because she didn't feel much like putting on a fake front to go to work.

Before she had the chance to shed another tear, her bedside phone rang. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she answered it, not bothering to look at the caller I.D. She prayed that it wasn't Sasuke, but he had stopped his frequent, almost obsessive calling, a week ago.

"Hello?" she said huskily.

"Have you really been crying again, Sakura?" a shrill, familiar voice replied.

"No, Ino, but I was about to."

Ino Yamanaka, her oldest friend from elementary school, sighed heavily.

"Girl, you definitely need to get out of the house except to go to work! No wonder you're so depressed all the time. You sit at home all day."

"I haven't really had the time or money to go anywhere," Sakura answered softly.

"Oh, shut-up. You have way more money than I do!" exclaimed Ino over the phone. "Anyways, get dressed. I'm coming to pick you up in an hour, and we are going to get lunch."

Sakura smiled at Ino's bossiness. She was obviously done caring for the sulking Sakura, and an odd sensation of happiness warmed her core. She loved her best friend.

"Alright, Ino," Sakura said, somewhat cheerily. "It sounds like fun."

After they said their goodbyes, Sakura hung up the phone and went into the bathroom to get ready. She had taken a shower last night, but her hair was a little bit messy, so she decided to straighten it for the time being, to make it flatter.

_Maybe being single isn't so bad. At least I don't have to share a bathroom anymore. _

She brushed her teeth quickly and threw on a little bit of make-up. The natural look was refreshing in a world filled with raccoon eyes, and it suited her well. Sakura had natural beauty, where she didn't have to wear any if she didn't feel like it, but she used it to enhance her features.

Satisfied with her look, she walked to her closet. The left side was completely empty except for two big suitcases because that was _his _side of the closet. Well, it use to be _his _side. Anyways, she dug through the row of her clothes and picked out a classic, yet formfitting silky black tank. It was asymmetrical with black flowers decorating the one strap that went over her right shoulder.

She paired it with a pair of nice jeans and strapped black gladiator sandals to her feet. Then, she stood in front of the mirror, admiring the outfit that complemented her short pink hair and unique emerald eyes. She looked… beautiful, something that she hadn't thought in a few weeks. It boosted her self confidence just a bit.

Sakura didn't have to wait long for Ino to arrive at her fifth floor apartment. Ino, who had been to her apartment thousands upon thousands of times, headed to the farthest window in the living room and peered out into the New York City street below. Her eyes sparkled like a child looking into the biggest toy shop it has ever seen.

"I still can't believe your view here is so perfect," Ino swooned. "Look! I've never noticed that you can kind of see Lady Liberty over there."

Sakura chuckled and grabbed Ino from the collar of her shirt.

"Come on, and yes, I've seen Lady Liberty."

Ino turned around happily and adjusted the purse on her shoulder.

"Where do you want to get lunch at?" she asked.

Sakura thought about for a second, digging deep inside her mind to find out what she was craving.

"Chinese food," Sakura replied nonchalantly. "I've been craving it recently."

"Ooh!" Ino exclaimed girlishly. "Me too! Let's go to Fu Li's!"

"I thought you didn't have enough money."

Ino gave a pouting face of realization.

"Well, I don't mind paying for something expensive every once in a while. Anyways, I want to see if any celebrities are there today."

Sakura laugh as Ino and her walked out of her apartment to go eat at the biggest, most expensive authentic Chinese restaurant in New York.

xXx

"So, I hope you don't me asking, but how does it feel to be single?" Ino asked as they sat at the booth in the corner.

A sharp twinge of hurt ran through Sakura's body, but she shook it off.

"It hurts some, and it sucks," she replied pessimistically. "Anyways, I was in a relationship so long that I have forgotten how to be single."

Ino smiled and shook her head slowly.

"Well, you're only twenty-two. You are still young!"

Ino glanced over at the table beside them where three forty-something year old women were dressed like eighteen year olds and flirting with the young male server. Cougars.

"At least you are not like them," Ino whispered with a wicked smile.

Sakura laughed loudly.

"That's so mean, Ino!"

Ino shrugged and looked up to see their waiter standing at the edge of the table.

"Hello, ladies," greeted a man about their age with long blonde hair. "My name is Deidara, and I will be your server this afternoon, yeah. Can I get you something to drink?"

He flashed a bright smile towards Ino, which automatically put her into flirt mode. She smiled back, somewhat seductively, and Sakura tried hard not to roll her eyes.

"Just a water, if it's not too much trouble," Ino replied cutely. He repeated her order and looked to Sakura.

"And you miss?" He asked, just as flirtatious. His slanted blue eyes bore into her emerald ones, enticing and entrancing.

"Um…" She had almost forgotten how to speak. "Just a diet coke."

"I'll be right out with those, yeah," Deidara said and walked away to the kitchen with a confident spring his step.

"I saw that," Ino said in a soft tone. There was a strange smile on her face, the one that she use to do in high school when Sakura would talk about a boy other than Sasuke. Her eyes studied Sakura's face.

"Saw what?"

"You were blushing…and flirting. Well, if you count that as flirting."

"I wasn't flirting!" Sakura exclaimed defensively. Ino giggled.

"You so were, and look! Your new boyfriend over there is talking with his coworker about you," Ino said, pointing behind Sakura.

Sakura couldn't help but turn to lock eyes with Deidara, who was giving a diamond smile and holding two glasses in his hands. The host up front was staring over at their table as well, and when he saw Sakura turn around, he smiled almost as brilliantly. Although, the poor boy didn't have the same good facial features as their server did.

Sakura turned around quickly to find Ino smiling bigger.

"He's on his way back," She teased.

Deidara was back in an instant, putting the drinks on the cup mats. He pulled out a small notepad and a pen from his pocket.

"What can I get you to eat, ladies?"

"Kung pao chicken and white rice for me," Ino said, raising her hand slightly.

Deidara scribbled words on his pad and thanked her with a heart-melting smile.

"And you, sweetheart?" he asked Sakura.

Sakura prodded through the menu and picked out the Mongolian Beef and the fried rice, blushing the entire time she ordered. Deidara thanked her with the same heart-melting smile and took the menus from their hands.

"Your food will be ready shortly, un," he said, walking away with an obviously natural spring in his step.

When he was gone, Ino stared at Sakura with that annoying face of hers.

"Don't say anything," Sakura growled.

"I wasn't," Ino laugh and threw up her hands in defense.

Before she could say anything else, Sakura heard a conversation the cougars were having with their waiter.

"Really?" asked the waiter. "Just eight-hundred dollars? That sounds really shady."

"That's what I thought at first, but I have a friend who has a friend who has a _cousin_-" one of the cougars stressed- "who went on this trip and said it was amazing. All you do need to pay for is the plane ticket to Dublin and the eight-hundred dollars and the rest is taken care of."

"Even food and housing?" the waiter asked.

"Housing, yes, but food, you have to pay for yourself."

"That sounds like fun, but sadly, I don't even have enough money to pay for rent this month at the moment," the waiter joked. "What's this thing called? I'm going save up money for it."

"Cross-trek tours," the cougar answered. "They do European tours, Australian, African, and even South American. All of them are rather cheap, and what I've heard, very exciting."

"Sakura?" Ino asked concerned. Sakura snapped out of their conversation.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah? Sorry, I just zoned out a little."

_Cross-trek tours….I need to remember that and look it up when I get home. It sounds like fun._

"Ino, what would you think about going on a European tour?" Sakura asked.

Ino looked baffled, but after thinking about Sakura's question, "It would sound amazing, but I'm too poor to afford one. I still have to pay off my student loans. Why? Are you thinking about going on one?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm pretty sure I have the money, and I feel that I need to get out of New York for a little while. Even though it's a big city, I feel sort of….trapped, you know?"

Ino remained silent for a while, opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to talk Sakura out of it. Maybe she was. Money was a big deal, and lost money meant a harder way to live.

But after a minute or so of pondering, Ino said, "When?"

"Soon, I hope."

Then, something inside Ino's head clicked, and she smiled warmly at Sakura. She grabbed one of Sakura's hands and squeezed tightly.

"That's a great idea! Do it, Sakura! It will help you forget about Sasuke, and I think it's time for your vacation!"

The mention of Sasuke's name poked at her heart, but the idea of going to Europe kicked the needle away.

_Cross-trek tours…_ she repeated in her mind, and Sakura smiled.


	3. IrelandChapter Two

***Fueled by Swedish Fish and Arizona Diet Green Tea, I've decided to write the third chapter quickly. But don't think my updates will be a daily thing, but it will be close to it until college starts again. I have a lot of free time since I don't have school or a job (lazy me). So anyways, thanks for the reviews and actually taking the time of your day to read my story. Enough chatting from here, so enjoy my third installment! Reviews get me every time to continue! ~Tri-Foxx***

…:::Destination One: Dublin, Ireland:::…

Chapter Two: Eight Places, Eight Weeks

To her utter dismay and annoyance, Sakura was completing the text messaged to a very handsome blonde waiter. She wasn't aggravated by the fact that she was texting him, but her irritation was directed towards a girl with white-blonde hair who Sakura just assumed was her best friend. Ino had taken the liberty to give Sakura's, yes her, number to the waiter, Deidara the man with no respect for personal space, they had just met a few hours ago.

He was already playing the twenty questions game with her. Scratch that, more like four-hundred questions game with her. He already knew that her favorite color is pink, she hates spicy food, and a hobby of hers is playing trivia games. Coyly, and almost slyly, Deidara had not exactly answered any of her questions but deciding to respond to them with another question. The conversation felt awfully one-sided, making Sakura feel weirded out that he already knew so much about her then she knew him.

Her inner self wanted to shake Ino from the collar of her shirt like a ragdoll. How could Ino be so naïve that Sakura was not ready to start a new relationship, especially when anything that reminded her of Sasuke brought her tremendous inner pain?

"He was totally digging you," Ino had said when she broke the news to Sakura that she had given away her phone number.

_I don't care if the hottest man alive was digging me. I'd rather wallow!_

Sakura flopped down on her couch and flipped open her cell phone when she heard a beep of another text. Deidara again.

_**Trivia is my specialty….if you don't count art, at least. I moved here to New York to get recognized as an artist**__._

Sakura was amazed. He didn't act like the artistic type of person. She typed her reply quickly.

_**That's really awesome. What do you do? **_

She tossed her phone beside her and sighed heavily. Ever since she reached home, she felt like she had forgotten to do something, but obviously it wasn't too important if it left her mind so easily.

Her living room was getting dimmer now from the switch from the sun to the moon, but the bustle of New York City kept her apartment partly lit with yellow fluorescent lighting. Some nights she would get annoyed by the bright lights and the sounds of people and cars. For the city that never sleeps, it was cruel to those who actually needed to rest their eyes. They should make a law where all lights should be turned off at midnight, but that was impossible. Adolescents and adults who worked night shifts were out at every hour.

Sighing again, she flipped on the television, the forgotten memory itching at her brain. She flipped through a few channels, until she reached a semi-interesting documentary about jungle cats. Lions, tigers, and bears…no wait.

As she watched a mother lioness lick clean her little baby Simba, a thought in the back of her mind suddenly came up out of nowhere. The croaky voice of the forty-something year old cougar talking, or rather flirting, with the young waiter.

'_They do European tours, Australian, African, and even South American. All of them are rather cheap, and what I've heard, very exciting.'_

"Cross-trek!" Sakura exclaimed loudly, standing up swiftly.

She raced to her computer and turned it on. The Internet took its sweet time to load up, but when it did, Sakura hastily typed in _Cross-trek _into the search engine. It took her to the first site, which was remarkably put together well.

Scanning through the top icons, she clicked on the one that said _European Tours. _

Loading onto a green backdrop with pictures of random people in front of famous European monuments lining its sides, she read the information in the middle.

'_Cross-trek tours, famous for its European sight-seeing tours since 1954, are glad to welcome you to our online site, and…'_

_Blah, blah, blah, _Sakura thought, scrolling down to the most important part. _Cha!_

'_Eight wonderful and historic places in eight thrilling weeks, you will get more bang for your buck than ever before! Our first destination takes place in Dublin, Ireland, where you will get to experience the natural green rolling hills and meet unique locals. From there will we continue our trip to London, England; Berlin, Germany; Transylvania, Romania; Athens, Greece; Venice, Italy; Paris, France; and then last but not least: Barcelona, Spain. All you need to do is pay for the ticket to Dublin by way of plane to Dublin Airport (ticket prices varies from location and airlines) and back, and an extra eight-hundred dollars (one hundred for every week). You will have to provide for your own food and shopping, but housing will be handled. As of June 16, there are four more spots open for the June 30__th__ exploration. Call fast or you will miss your chance until September!'_

Sakura checked the date, frowning when it was already June twenty-second. The phone number placed under the information was screaming at her to give it a try and that the worst thing that could happen was that she would have to wait.

Opening another tab in the tool bar, she got back onto the search engine and began to research how much money she was looking at spending on the trip. Her heart dropped when she calculated that one ticket to Dublin and back was around one-thousand dollars plus the eight-hundred for the expenses and whatever else like food and souvenirs. She was looking well around four thousand to five thousand just to have fun.

She sat back into her chair with an exasperated huff, and then suddenly remembered the money she had been saving up Sasuke's and her wedding day since she was fifteen. A cold feeling in her gut told her that the money was never going to be used for that, and that she wasn't going to get married sometime soon anyways.

_I can't let it go to waste, _she thought sadly. _I hope I save enough to let me go on this trip._

She called the bank to make sure, and a happy bubble burst in her body, making every nerve and cell fill with pleasure when the accountant told her that she had six-thousand four-hundred dollars and sixty-two cents. Sakura did a happy dance in her chair, thanked the lady, and squealed with delight when she hung up.

"It would make my day even better if there was a spot open!"

_Beep!_

Looking down at her cell phone, she saw that she had two missed text messages, both of Deidara. She had been so wrapped up in her research that she had forgotten about the cute blonde. Finally she was getting some answers from him.

The newer one said: _**You there? **_

And the other one said: _**I'm a sculptor. Painting and drawing is not really my thing, un. **_

_**I'm sorry, **_she replied. _**I got distracted, but I've never met anyone who sculpts. **_

After responded, she pushed the numbers for the Cross-trek tour on her keypad. Taking a deep breath and crossing her fingers, she pressed the call button.

After a few rings, a receptionist with a sweet, yet high-pitched voice answered, "Hello, thanks for calling Cross-trek Tours. This is Rin. How can I help you today?"

"Hello, Rin," greeted Sakura. "I was calling about the European tour for June thirtieth. Are there anymore spots open, do you know?"

"It's your lucky day, sweetheart. There are two seats left open. Is it just you or someone else?"

"Just me."

"Alright, let me get your information, and I'll save a spot for you."

After exchanging name and other valuable information with the receptionist, Sakura thanked her and hung up. She jumped out of her chair giddily and did another happy jig, blushing when she noticed that her blinds were up.

_I bet my neighbors from across the street enjoyed that, if they saw it._

There was another beep from her phone.

_**Ha. May I ask what distracted you? Anyways, some say my art is a bang. Literally and figuratively. **_

_What does he mean by that? _

She sent him a reply with a revised version of her thought and ignored his question. He had been ignoring some of hers, so she only thought it was fair.

Scrolling through her contacts, she dialed a familiar number with a childish smile on her face.

xXx

"Liar!" Ino exclaimed just as excited as Sakura. "You are leaving in eight days? How are you going to tell your boss?"

"I'm going to pull some strings since my boss is a family member of mine, and I'm also one of the best workers at the hospital."

Ino chuckled.

"Well, good luck and have fun now, Sakura. I'm only a phone call away, but don't you dare call me from a number from across seas. I don't want to pay the fee!"

Now it was Sakura's turn to laugh.

Eight days until her eight destinations in eight weeks, starting with Dublin, Ireland. Irish bar songs, here she comes!


	4. IrelandChapter Three

***Aye Chihuahua. Sorry about my late post. My computer got a virus. I've procrastinated long enough! So, now I'm getting ready to finally start the adventure! :3 ~Tri-Foxx***

…:::Destination One: Dublin, Ireland:::…

Chapter Three: Unofficial Drunk Week

To the dismay of her work, Sakura was leaving for Europe in only a few antagonizing hours. She had been up since the crack of dawn making sure that she had everything she needed and then headed out for La Guardia Airport.

It was a ghost town in such a usually busy airport, but she suspected as much since the only people who were flying to different places around the globe at five in the morning were her and businessmen. She sat by herself in the lobby area for Flight 116 and people watched as a person or two would walk by with high-tech phones in hand and a single suitcase trailing behind them. She felt lonely being the only person flying off to Ireland this morning, while others texted and typed away on phones and computers across the hall in the Detroit, Michigan lobby.

Sakura ran her fingers through her bed-matted cotton candy hair and turned to face the window. The tired sun was slowly rising up through the horizon for another day of warming the Earth. There were a few colorful, wispy clouds scattered across the tickle-me-pink and baby blue sky. They floated against gravity and the turning of the world, disappearing into the far corners. In thirty minutes, the sun was finally up and running in brilliance.

Sakura's eyes were beginning to become heavy, but she fought the pain of wanting to sleep. She lifted her wrist to her face to check the time on her watch. The intercom from across the hall sounded to inform passengers that the plane to Detroit was ready. She sighed and looked around the lobby to find one other person who somehow slunk past her vision to sit in the blue chair against the wall. His face was glazed over in what seemed like sadness, and Sakura knew immediately why when she looked down to see his uniform.

It was made of heavy fabric, and it was decorated in brown, green, and tan camouflage. There were thick, camel-colored boots strapped perfectly to his feet.

Sakura pulled her eyebrows together in sympathy.

_It must be really hard leaving your family to go fight in war, _she thought sensitively.

Her fingers ran through her matted hair again, and she took the liberty to stare off in another direction. She pondered on why he was heading off to Dublin, but she concluded that maybe it was stop before he had to get on another plane to the battlefield. She silently prayed for him and his family.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for your wait. If you please head over to the ticket master, we will be happy to help you aboard the plane," a voice over the intercom said cheerily.

A wave of nervousness crashed down on her without warning, and she stood up throwing the strap of her carry-on bag on her shoulder. She allowed the soldier on before her, and she shakily gave the ticket master her voucher. He approved it, and she giddily walked down the runway towards the plane.

There were more people on the plane then she would have imagined. She spotted the last seat by the window in the very back of the jet. The seat by the aisle was taken by a boy with black hair that was styled into liberty spikes. His arms had a tattoo on every inch of skin, the small chains on his pants rattled, and she could hear the rock music blasting from his earphones. It was a wonder that he was able to get on the plane, and he was probably the reason why no one had taken the seat at the window.

She pointed to the seat beside him and was about to ask if it was taken, but the boy quietly got up and let her slide through. Sakura placed her carry-on bag at her feet and looked out the window. She already predicted the six hour trip to Ireland to be long and quiet. She instantly became bored, even before the take-off.

xXx

Three hours into the flight, Sakura had already taken a nap and bored herself to death with her crossword puzzle. Her seat buddy was no help either, for he just wanted to listen to his music without disturbance. She sighed heavily and stared out the window to see the vast blue ocean for the hundredth time again. At first, it was excited to watch the sea, but then it turned out to be as interesting as paper.

She dug into her bag to find something else to do, but the turbulence in the air caused some of her items to be tossed upwards. She sucked in her breath and watched as the spiky-haired boy flinch as he was caught off guard by the flying objects. Nevertheless, he managed to grab hold of her items and returned it to her.

"Thank you and I'm sorry about that," Sakura apologized.

"No problem," the boy replied, somewhat coldly and he turned back to his music.

After a few minutes of silence, Sakura tried to get the boy to talk to her by turning on her charm.

"So, what's your name?"

He blinked a few times, looking shocked that she would dare try to start a conversation with him. He pulled out his earphones and set his music player aside.

"Uh, it's Axel. Yours?"

"I'm Sakura. You're name is pretty unique. I've never heard it before."

Axel laughed.

"Yeah, well my parents weren't exactly in the _in _crowd. Also, they liked Guns N' Roses a little bit too much, so they named me after the lead singer."

"Oh?" Sakura replied. "That's pretty cool. Why are you off to Ireland?"

"Well, this week is only the biggest drinking holidays if you don't count St. Patrick's day," Axel exclaimed with a boyish grin.

"Really?"

Sakura grinned just as big. She was brought up in a household where alcohol was banned, but it didn't stop her through her teenage years. Since then, she had grown up a bit and her party days vanished when she began to focus herself of getting a job. A past demon swelled up in Sakura's chest.

"_Drink!" _it told her. _"It's okay! You're on vacation! But don't make an ass of yourself like you did at your twenty-first birthday party!"_

For the rest of the flight, Sakura conversed with Axel. Not only was Axel excited for the "unofficial drunk week" in Ireland, his band was playing in one of the bars. He wrote down the bar, the name of his band, and when he was playing on a card when the plane touched down onto the runway at Dublin Airport at precisely six in the evening.

"I hope to see you there! Maybe I can get you back stage passes," Axel told her and nicely helped Sakura find her suitcase.

Sakura smiled, waved by to her new friend, and went to go find the lobby with the Cross-trek tour guides. She had to ask multiple times where they were sitting, but eventually she found them standing beside a giant water fountain in the middle of the lobby where the ticket counters were.

"Name?" asked one of the tour guides in a red shirt with a clipboard in his hand. His hair was sandy-blonde and disheveled, and his deep brown eyes looked tired as if he was working too much. Sakura felt sorry for him.

"Sakura Haruno from New York."

He scrolled through the list, checked her off, and pointed to a small group of about twelve people. Sakura walked up to the group and searched through every face hoping to find the cougar from the Chinese restaurant, but she came up with unfamiliar faces. All of them looked to be above the age of thirty-five, except for one mousy-brown haired girl who looked to be close around Sakura's age.

She went to go stand by the girl but made no attempt at greeting her. The expression on the girl's face looked like she was about to run back onto the plane, but the expensive looking camera hanging from her neck appeared that she was on a photography run. Sakura bit her tongue and gazed around at the other group members.

The whole group looked normal or rich, but Sakura had to stifle a laugh when she saw a very cliché tourist couple looking down at a folding map. Both were large in the middle, and they matched their khaki shorts and a tucked in polo shirt. It was all very comical, and Sakura had to turn away.

"Okay, okay, people!" exclaimed a raven haired woman in a red tour guide shirt and the commotion from the group became quiet. "My name is Jen, and this is my partner, Harry. We will be your tour guides for the entire trip.

Now before I go on, yes, you will be able to explore on your own during the week, but we will have group activities three times a week. Also, I must advise you that you are in a different country, so it will not be wise to go off by yourself. If you are with someone, that's great! If not, this is a great way to meet new friends from around America. Now, if you please follow me, we will be heading to the hotel via bus."

With Harry and Jen in the lead, Sakura began to move with the rest of the crowd like a group of cattle with the sound of rolling suitcases thundering down the tile floor. Sakura watched with curiosity as natives rushed past the group, but her curiosity heightened to extreme levels when she walked out of the sliding doors.

The first thing she wanted to do was to drop her stuff and run around like a child, but she had to suppress that feeling. Harry helped her put her bags in the side compartments of the silver tank of a tour bus, and she climbed in behind the tourist couple. They were squabbling away about something, but Sakura paid no mind. She happily grabbed her comfy, clothed seat in the middle.

"We are going to give you a few ground rules. The first one is to stick with the group or a buddy, as I explained earlier," Jen began at the front of the bus. "Second, food and souvenirs will have to be paid for by you. Next, we are all adults here, so there isn't a curfew. We just ask you to be responsible and safe since you are in unfamiliar territory. Also, you may think this is a joke, but we have had it happen before. We will not bail you out of jail. That is your fault if you get in."

The bus rumbled with soft laughter, and Sakura couldn't help but smile. Her body tingled with anxiousness and excitement. Jen finished her speech as the bus began to roll out of the airport, but Sakura zoned out.

She pressed her forehead against the glass and her eyes began to move around rapidly at the many sights Dublin had to offer. To the rolling green hills in the background, the cobblestone roads, and the roaming sheep in the streets, Sakura knew she definitely was not in America anymore.

The bus travelled on down out of the city and into the country, where acres and acres of farmland dictated. The bus stopped in front of a gigantic old, white building where jade green creepers were growing against the sides and front of the structure. A swinging sign that was staked into the ground read "McEwen's Roadside Villa".

The villa was extremely beautiful up close. The classic ivory color of the three-story building was complete with contrasting black shutters and decks with black iron bars blocking off the edge. Sakura stepped off the bus with wide, curious eyes, and the smell of nature was overwhelming in a good way.

"Here's your room number and key," Harry said, breaking her thoughts. "Do you have someone you are sharing a room with?"

"Oh, no I don't," Sakura replied and grabbed an old fashioned key with a card with the number two-twelve tied to the end out of his hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You are free to do anything until eight o'clock, where we will take the bus to a restaurant called O'Malley. It's not very expensive, but the atmosphere makes it appear so."

Harry chuckled, and Sakura humored him with a fake laugh. She thanked him again and headed into the wooden doors.

Inside was just as unique as it was on the outside. White marble covered the floor, making the downstairs look brighter. Unique art and sculptures decorated the foyer, and a comfy red couch was sitting in front of a stone fireplace. Sakura, with her bags in hand, walked up to the front counter for help finding her room.

"Top of the evenin' to you, ma'am," greeted the counter assistant in a thick Irish accent. She was very beautiful with long flowing locks of gold hair and a cheery smile. "How may I help you?"

"Yes. Where is room two-hundred and twelve?"

"The front number means the floor and the last two numbers mean your room number. Yours, for example, is on the second floor and the twelfth room. Anything else?"

Sakura shook her head and thanked the assistant. She ran to catch the elevator with two of the group members. They looked like a honeymooning coupled by the looks of their shining rings and lust filled eyes. Sakura looked down at their number and sighed with relief when they were on the third floor.

She pressed the button for the second floor, and she listened quietly to the classical elevator music and the annoying cooing of the couple. She tapped her foot impatiently and almost ran out of the metal doors when they opened. The feeling of love in the small elevator was intoxicating and excruciatingly painful because it reminded her of the feelings she had for Sasuke.

She power walked to her room and twisted the old fashioned key into the lock. Opening the door, she sucked in a mouthful of air.

"It looks like I just died and went to heaven," she whispered to herself.

She shut the door quietly behind her and took a minute to examine the room she would be staying in by herself for a week. The walls were painted a soft, creamy yellow and it was accented with white window seals and floorboards. The oak floors were perfectly polished, and a plush, white area rug covered the living room portion of the ground.

A black faux-leather couch was stretched in front of a huge, flat-screen television, and an eccentric coffee table that was held up by metal horses was placed in between. She walked through the living room, passed the equally amazing kitchen, and into the bedroom.

She threw her bags onto the floor, dashed towards the bed, and took a flying leap, landing on her back onto the king sized comforter. She closed her eyes in pure bliss and let her mind travel towards the future.

xXx

***Thanks for bearing with me. I swear that the next chapter will be very exciting and not rushed like this one! I actually very excited to write the next chapter, which is weird to say because I'm never excited to write a new chapter. Please review, whether you thought it sucked or if you liked it! **


	5. IrelandChapter Four

…:::Destination One: Dublin, Ireland:::…

Chapter Four: The Hefty Hog

The bus ride to O'Malley's was a special treat. Everyone was dressed in their most dashing attire, as if they were all going to step on the Red Carpet. Everyone, except Sakura, who must have not gotten the memo. She stuck out like a sore thumb dressed in jeans and a purple v-neck, while everyone else dressed themselves in silky evening gowns and nice slacks. She was already running behind, since she had to go and take a nap, so it was already too late to go back up and change.

She had a long walk to the back of the bus as the others in the group stared at her choice of clothes. Usually, she wouldn't mind being scrutinized, but the looks on their faces made her blush in embarrassment. How could she be so dumb to think wearing casual clothes to a fancy restaurant was a good idea?

Sighing, she sat beside the timid, mousy girl, feeling a little bit better as Sakura saw that the girl was wearing jeans and a nice button down. The girl gazed with wide eyes as Sakura sat down next to her, sucked in her breath, and quickly turned to look out of the window with a red face.

_That was weird, _Sakura thought and looked down her phone that was hidden in her suitcase all day.

There was a missed call from Ino and a few, well more than a few, texts from that blonde waiter. Sakura made a mental note to destroy Ino when she got home. Deidara was starting to become a bother.

She pressed the call button and put the receiver to her ear. After a few rings, her call went to Ino's voice mail. Hanging up, she decided to delete all the messages from Deidara and start a new one. It was hard for her to ignore people because it hurt her to see people being left out.

**Hey. Sorry about not replying. I was on a plane all day, and now I'm in Ireland. If I don't reply again, I'm doing Irish things. **

Chuckling to herself, Sakura sent the message and tucked her phone away in her pocket.

The bus was rolling out of the country and was now in the city. The old-timey cobblestone roads and stucco buildings were a refreshing remedy from the asphalt and steel of New York. Sakura smiled and focused her gaze at the young girl beside her, who appeared to be trying to hide in the corner.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked, confused by the young girl's behavior.

The girl jumped and turned around slowly with frightened eyes.

"M-me?" the girl questioned pointing to her chest. "Yes. I'm fine."

Sakura didn't believe her.

"What's your name?"

"Um, Hinata."

"Hello, Hinata. My name is Sakura," she introduced herself with a warm smile. "Where are you from?"

"A small town in Colorado," Hinata replied, relaxing a little at Sakura's smile. "My parents were supposed to come with me, but they never showed up."

_How sad, _Sakura thought with empathy.

She put a friendly hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Well, since both you and I are alone on this trip, let's be trip buddies!"

Hinata seemed to ponder on the thought for a moment, and then a timid half smile played on her face. She nodded.

xXx

The food at O'Malley's was exotic, yet surprisingly good, but the classical music and white table clothes was boring. Across the street, a shabby pub called The Hefty Hog was bumping with laughter, clinking bottles, and the punky melodies of guitars and what sounded like bagpipes. Despite its scruffiness, The Hefty Hog was keenly inviting, and Sakura wanted a taste of Irish culture.

"It's too loud," Hinata replied softly when Sakura suggested checking it out.

"Have you never been to a bar or a club before?"

Hinata shook her head and glanced in a different direction.

_Of course not, that was a dumb question. She's too shy._

"Well, you're not young forever!" Sakura exclaimed, not too loudly so not to disturb the others. "Anyways, you're on a different continent. You can be whoever you want here!"

Hinata took another bite of her food and chewed slowly while looking down at her plate. She was trying to avoid Sakura's statement, but she couldn't forever.

"Alright," Hinata finally agreed. "I'll go."

"Yes!" Sakura said and repressed the feeling to throw her hand in the air.

Dinner couldn't be so long, and Sakura squirmed in her chair like a child with A.D.D. The Hefty Hog was getting more rowdy every minute, and by ten o'clock it was disturbing the peace of O'Malley's. Customers were beginning to get their checks, Sakura being one of them, and were leaving to go back home.

The quiet group dinner was wrapping up as they paid for their meals. Jen and Harry were giggling from across the table, and the two cliché tourists had their noses in a book about Ireland. Sakura put her hand to her mouth like a small child, choked down her laugh, and then waved at Jen to get her attention.

"Is I okay if Hinata and I go out? We already paid for our food."

Jen smiled dryly. "I'm not your mother. Go do whatever you want."

Grinning with delight, Sakura grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her out of boring O'Malley's. Just a she predicted, the pub was booming. Drunken locals were swaying in the streets with cold mugs of beer in their hands. Pink-nosed and the smell of alcohol on their breaths were very unattractive, but Sakura remembered what Axel said about this week.

"Ah, Ireland. In America, it's illegal to have an open container on the streets," Sakura murmured to herself.

Still holding Hinata's sweaty hand, she led the way through the crowd of drunken Irishmen. She reached the bar in the back, surveyed her choices with bright eyes, and turned to Hinata. She had her arms close to her body, and she would jump at every touch as if it were fire. Her face was as red as a tomato, and Sakura saw her gulp.

"Calm down, Hinata. It's okay," Sakura comforted her. "Do you want to leave?"

Hinata stared at her with timid eyes, and then shook her head no.

"No. I'm in a different country, remem-Ah!"

Hinata jumped back as a midget dressed up like a leprechaun poked her on the shoulder. He was walked across the top of the bar, and his green sweater had many gold paper clovers pinned to it. The leprechaun, with a pitcher of beer in his hand, grabbed at his waist and shook with laughter.

"Aye, lassie, scared of a wee leprechaun now?" he slurred, an Irish accent as thick as molasses. "Usually people are all over me, tryin' to get me pot o' gold."

Hinata began to stutter, trying to find a way to escape. Sakura just laughed and put a reassuring hand on Hinata's arm.

"Why are you dressed up like a leprechaun, sir?"

A man with salt and pepper hair swiveled around in his bar stool and stared at Sakura in disbelief. Droplets of alcohol were scattered on his beard, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened when he smiled. Sakura was a little bit stunned by his ugly teeth, and the oblivious man slapped her on the back rather hard.

"Dressed up? Hunny, he be a leprechaun, he is," the old man said. "You pin a gold clover to his jacket and he brings you good luck throughout the whole week. Aye, you are not from around here, huh? My name is Yancy O'Brian, but the locals call me Old Man O'Brian."

"Hello, I'm Sakura and this is Hinata," Sakura replied and pulled the unwilling Hinata to her side. "We are from America, and hope if you don't mind me asking, where can I get one of those clovers?"

Old Man O'Brian chuckled hoarsely and waved at the crowd. To Hinata's embarrassment and dismay, the leprechaun began to lean on her shoulder and laughed at her reactions. Three men wearing necklaces made of clovers pushed their way through the crowd and grinned from ear to ear when they reached the bar.

"Ah, old man, why are you still flirting with the younger girls? Your prime age is over," a blonde haired man teased, shaking Old Man O'Brian's hand.

"Boy, age doesn't matter. It's the experience that counts," Old Man O'Brian retorted and gave a quick wink at Sakura and Hinata. "Anyways, Finnegan, these lassies want a gold clover. They came all the way from America to get good fortune."

The blonde haired man, Finnegan, turned to face Sakura and Hinata, who squirmed under the pressure. Finnegan looked twenty years younger than Old Man O'Brian, but he could have been Sakura's father if need be. His blonde hair was cut short and semi-balding, and his bright blue eyes sparkled with youth.

"America, eh?" Finnegan asked. "Well, you surely have not been initiated into the Mother Land yet. To deserve this clover, sing me a song."

Sakura was almost dragged to the floor when Hinata's knees gave out, and she pulled on Hinata's arm to pick her up. Sakura was as shocked as her because she couldn't sing at all.

"Sing?" she asked. "But, I can't sing at all."

Finnegan chuckled and his cronies behind him did too. It was the first time Sakura noticed the men behind him. One man wasn't even a man, but a boy. He looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years of age, and he had shockingly bright blonde hair and equally shiny blue eyes. He had similarities to Finnegan, but the boy's bulbous nose was a defined facial feature.

"So, I see you have been interested by my boy here. This is my son, Connor. He's helping me out with Unofficial Drunk Week," Finnegan explained.

Connor waved excitedly. Sakura blamed it on the bar.

The other man was staring at her with a smile that took her breath away. He was remarkably beautiful, and his pearly whites were sharp and perfect. His deep brown hair was messy and it spiked in some places. His eyes were as sweet as their color: chocolate. His nose was straight, and his jaw line was pointed but nevertheless, manly. He was tall and skinny, yet she knew muscles were hidden somewhere underneath his skin.

Sakura had not seen a man this handsome since….no! She wouldn't think of him.

The brown-haired man must have noticed Sakura's change in behavior, and it only made him smile wider. It was cocky, but confident.

"Hello," he greeted huskily, his Irish accent thick and sexy. "My name is Kiba. Wacky name, huh?"

xXx

**AH! Finally I was able to put Kiba in, but sadly, I didn't have enough time to write my soon to be favorite part! I guess you and I will have to wait, which is better for you because it gives me a reason to want to update quickly! :3 Gwah!**


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